solar flare:  Solar flares are sudden, violent eruptions of gas from the chromosphere.  They are usually associated with sunspots.  Flares may erupt thousands of miles into the corona.  They release enormous amounts of energy.  Most flares last only a couple of minutes.  When there is a lot of solar activity, they may last for hours.  Solar flares give off huge amounts of radiation.  They also give off charged particles.